Breakdown
by Pantherlily
Summary: Casefile. An unsub is loose in the city of Vegas. Reid's mother is missing. Will his emotions cloud his judgement and put his own life in danger? Mostly Reid-centric but involves the whole team. Rated for language & violence. *Character death*
1. Chapter 1

Author's Note:

I really shouldn't be starting another story when I have three others in the process but this idea just wouldn't leave me alone and I was compelled to write it. I'm not sure how often this will get updated, since as stated before I have three that still need finished. I'll try to update at least once a week, but no promises. Slight AU in later chapters. Takes place after 6X12, Corazon but before 6X16, Coda.

* * *

_"Other things may change us, but we start and end with family." - Anthony Brandt_

Spencer Reid was awoken by his cell phone ringing. He squinted at the caller ID. Confusion then a sense of urgency as he recognized the number. He glanced at the clock on his night stand, 3:04am. Only an emergency would warrant a phone call this early in the morning. "Hello?" He asked, as he slowly sat up in his bed.

"Dr. Reid?"

"Yes. Who is this?" Although he already knew the answer.

"I'm a nurse at your mother's institute. I'm sorry to say Sir, but she's gone missing."

Suddenly he was wide awake at the alarming news. "_Missing?_ What do you mean missing?" The news was worse than he thought. He thought maybe she had had a psychotic break or something but not _this_.

"When we went to do bed checks tonight, she wasn't there. We checked the entire hospital and we can't find her."

Reid took a deep breath. His heart and mind were racing. He needed to calm down so he think more clearly. "How long has she been missing?"

"Six hours, maybe longer."

Anger washed over Reid like a tidal wave. "_Six hours?_ And you are just now getting around to calling me and telling me? I want to talk to her doctor immediately." So much for thinking clearly. He had flicked on a lamp by his bed and was already hastily putting clothes on. He hopped around the room as he attempted to put a sock on and talk on the phone at the same time.

"I'm sorry Sir, she's gone for the evening."

"Well, who's in charge then?"

"I am."

_Of course,_ he thought bitterly. He wasn't used to being this livid but his mother was missing and there was nothing he could to stop the panic that was overwhelming him. He almost fell over on his face when he tried to get pants on but caught himself on his dresser. "Okay. Fine. Look, I'll be there as soon as I can. Have you called the police?"

"Someone else is doing that now Sir."

"Good." He shut his phone and threw it on the bed to free his other hand so he could finish dressing himself. Fear gripped him as scenarios of what could have happened flashed through his head. _Get it together Spencer. Maybe she just went for a nightly stroll and then went back to bed and no one noticed._ He partially calmed himself and he picked up his cell phone once more. He felt bad about calling at such an unseemly hour but this was important. It rang several times but finally the other end picked up. "Garcia, it's me. Can you do me a favor and meet me at the office as soon as possible?"

Confusion clearly overtook her and then a hint of panic. "Reid? The office? What? Why? Oh my God, what happened?"

"I'll explain when I see you. Another favor, keep this between us?"

"Okay Sweetie but you have the divine absolute paradigm of knowledge perplexed."

"Thanks! I'll owe you!" He closed the phone once more and sat down on his bed, hoping his mind would slow down just a little bit so that the rest of him could keep up. Reid knew he needed to calm down if he wanted to be effective. Something in the back of his mind was tugging at his subconscious but he couldn't seem to decipher what it was trying to tell him. He felt like he was missing something. Something he would have noticed if he hadn't been so panic stricken. He'd worry about it later. He got up off the bed and rushed to the BAU headquarters.

* * *

It didn't surprise him that he got there before Garcia. Reid got online at the computer on his desk and looked to see when the next flight to Vegas was. Not until the afternoon. He booked it immediately and then walked downstairs. He paced outside the locked door that lead to Garcia's office while he waited.

Eventually she showed up, in a flurry of colors that on anyone else wouldn't have matched at all. She lacked her usual make-up, but despite being woken up in the wee hours she still had an air of pluck about her. "Hope you haven't been waiting too long Cutie." She unlocked the door and glanced to him worriedly, "Now you going to tell me what's going on?"

"It's my mother, she's gone missing. I'm hoping maybe the nurses and orderlies just missed her somehow and that she is still in the building. I was hoping, you could hack into some files and look up the blueprints. If I could get a look at them, I might be able to see a place she'd go that they could have missed." Reid explained hurriedly. It wasn't the most logical approach but right now logic didn't matter to him. He needed to be doing _something_ to find her since he couldn't fly out there right away.

"My poor baby!" Garcia exclaimed. She turned on her computers and began to type quickly.

The nagging in his head came back and this time Reid forced himself to listen to it. "Wait Garcia, forget the blueprints. Can you bring up newspaper articles from Vegas spanning back to three weeks?"

"Sure. What are you thinking Boy Genius?"

Reid's heart sank as he watched the articles pop up. He had known all along what had happened and that's why the panic overtook him so quickly. His mind had tried to protect him but now the truth was hard to ignore when it was staring right at him.

"You don't think…" Garcia trailed off and looked up to him.

"Most likely." Reid said, trying to go for a detached approach but he heard his voice crack. He cleared his throat. "I'm calling Hotch. We need get to Vegas."

"We can't just barge in on the local authorities, you know that right?"

Reid wasn't very popular with the local law enforcement there after his last endeavor in Vegas but that really didn't matter to him right now. If what he guessed was correct, then an unsub who's been kidnapping mentally ill people had his mother. The bodies were found one week later. That meant she had six days and sixteen hours left to live, give or take an hour or two. Three people had already been killed. It had been nagging at him because he had just read an article about it a week ago.

"Reid Sweetie, are you with me?" Garcia touched his arm lightly, a frown sketched on her lips.

"Yeah. Can you get all the information on the other three cases? Even if the team isn't accepted on this case, I'm still going to Vegas."

"Sure but you have to know that if you are going to Vegas, then we all are."

Reid gave a slight nod of his head distractedly. Already his mind was going over the facts of what he had read in the articles. Of course they were nowhere near as detailed as the police reports but he'd have those shortly. He heard the sound of papers printing off and walked over to get them but Garcia intercepted him.

"Listen to me tall, pale and awkward. Maybe you should take a minute to yourself before jumping right into this thing."

"I don't have time. My mother doesn't have time. I'll take time for myself after my mom is safe. Will you call Hotch instead? I'm going to see if I can start building a profile."

"On your own?"

Reid shrugged. "No one else is here to start it or do it with, so yeah." He snatched the print outs and walked out of Garcia's office. He was faintly aware he was being rude and abrupt but every second counted right now. He could always apologize to her later. He made his way upstairs and he went into the Round Table Room. He turned the lights on and took a seat. He spread out the different cases and went over each of them.

The adrenaline that had kick started him fully awake was beginning to wear off. The files in front of him became blurry as the weariness took its toll. He hadn't intended to, but he ended up falling asleep in the chair.


	2. Chapter 2

Author's Note:

Don't like how this chapter turned out but here it is anyway. Hopefully you guys will like it. Decided to leave Seaver out of this story, mainly because her character is so new I don't think I'd be able write her well at all. Thanks for the reviews and to all the people subscribing! It means a lot to me! =)

* * *

A moving silhouette brought Reid awake slowly. It took a moment for him to realize he was in the office and why. He focused on the person moving away from. "Hotch?" He called as he sat up a little straighter in the chair.

His boss stopped on the walkway and turned around. "Sorry, didn't mean to wake you." He walked back into the room, leaned against the door frame with his arms crossed over his chest.

"Hadn't meant to fall asleep anyway."

Hotch merely nodded, worry evident in his brown eyes.

"You've talked to Garcia?"

"Yeah, she filled me in over the phone."

"Are we going to take the case?"

"I'm going to call later in the morning, at a more appropriate hour. See if we can get invited in."

"Anyone else here?"

"Just the three of us. Tried to send Garcia home to get more sleep but she was adamant about staying."

"Well, I'm staying too."

"I didn't ask you to leave. I'll make some coffee and we'll go over the case." Hotch stood up straight and went downstairs to get the coffee ready.

Reid was surprised Hotch hadn't tried to send him home. Maybe because of all the people on the team, he knew how it felt to have someone you love in harm's way.

After wiping the sleep from his eyes, Reid stood up and stretched briefly. Then he began hanging up pictures on the wall. He was still a little sleepy but he wasn't nearly as panicked. At least he was calmer than before, maybe now he could think a little more clearly. He stared at the pictures in front of him and tried hard not to envision his mother being subjected to the things the last three victims had suffered.

Reid had to look away, unable to keep his mind from running rampant. Usually he could look at crime scene photos with a detached indifference but the thought of his mother enduring pain at the hands of a sexual sadist was frightening for his mind to try and comprehend. It was difficult to compartmentalize on this case. He needed to be Dr. Reid, FBI agent. Not Spencer Reid, son. The two were bleeding together despite his best efforts to keep the two separate. He teetered between being okay and breaking down more than he'd like. He _needed_ to keep it together.

He hadn't heard Hotch come back in the room and was startled when his name was spoken by the older man and a hand fell on his shoulder and shook him lightly. "Reid?"

"Sorry. I was just…thinking…"

"You okay?"

Reid knew there was no point in lying. He shrugged and said, "As okay as can be expected I suppose."

Hotch nodded and gave a gentle squeeze of the young doctor's shoulder and then removed his hand. He glanced behind Spencer at the photos hung up, his expression impossible to read except for the subtle change of the look in his eyes that indicated anger. He looked back to Reid and asked in his usual business voice, "Get very far on the profile?"

"The unsub is a sexual sadist. It's most likely a male between the ages of twenty-five and thirty-five. He's probably small and/or weak, which is why he preys on women with mental illnesses. He likes being in control and in power. He's most likely impenitent because he uses objects to rape and sodomize the victims. He clearly hates women. There are burn marks, cuts, and bruises all over the bodies. There are abrasions around the wrist and ankles which indicates he restrains them. He keeps them for a week and then just disposes of the bodies like they are nothing. All women are found by dumpsters in alleyways, a clear message he views them as trash. " Reid managed to keep it together, even though he thought for sure his voice would falter at any minute. He avoided looking at the pictures on the wall and took a seat with his back to them. He picked up the coffee on the table and took a sip of the sugary contents.

"Anything on victomology? Other than the obvious: all female, blond, middle aged and have a mental illness."

"I haven't gotten that far. I was going to see if I could come up with a geographic profile next, based off the dump sites."

"Reid, you know we might not get the case?"

"Hotch, I'm going to Vegas whether not we get the case. There's no way I'd be effective for the team on another case. I already booked a commercial flight for early this afternoon."

"Do you think you'd be effective on your mother's case, if we do get it?"

Reid hated Hotch at that moment. He should have known this conversation would come up. "I can do my job." He didn't hide the bitterness he felt.

"Spencer, listen to me." Hotch used his commanding voice and then let it soften. "I know how it feels. To have your heart racing, the fear, the panic, the rage. It threatens to swallow you whole if you let it, and you can't."

Reid looked away from his boss. If Hotch had felt all those things when Foyet had Haley and Jack, how could he expect to keep it together while his mom was missing? His leader was fearless, he wasn't a blinker. How was _he_ supposed to cope? Because God knows he _was _a blinker. He needed to believe Hotch had been strong, otherwise how could he expect himself to be? He spoke the denial aloud, "You're never scared."

"That day I was. When I got to the house, I wasn't an FBI agent anymore. I was a father, a husband, a desperate man trying to save his family. The point is, the emotions are going to be there whether you want them to or not. You just can't them cloud your judgment and get in the way."

Reid nodded and silence ensued between them. Hotch wasn't one to open up and talk about things, so it made him take time to pause and listen to what was told to him. Since he continued to avoid eye contact, he stared at the window and saw the team rolling in one by one. "The team's here." He realized that was a poor attempt to avert the conversation but he couldn't the think of anything else to say.

"If you need me, I'll be in my office. I have paperwork I need to finish up. I'll call Vegas in a couple hours, and let you know the verdict." Hotch got up and left the room.

Reid wasn't alone long, because Morgan came strolling in. "New case?" He asked, his eyes narrowing slightly as he looked at the pictures pinned up.

"Maybe."

"Maybe?" Morgan turned his attention to Reid and a frown creased his lips. "You okay Kid? You look like hell."

"Didn't sleep much last night." A half truth, anyway. Reid really didn't feel like going into the details all over again.

Morgan sat down next to him. "Okay, what's up?"

Reid sighed and stood up. He walked to the banister and said, "Hey guys. Can you come up here? I have announcement." He walked back in the room. He wasn't looking forward to this but it was better to get it out of the way now.

Morgan raised his eyebrows.

"I didn't want to have to explain it more than once." Reid elaborated and then stood up front and waited patiently for his fellow team members to file in. Once everyone was seated he began at the beginning with the phone call and gave them an abridged version of the morning's event.

The room fell quiet once Reid finished speaking.

Rossi broke it. "You worked up a profile, even though we may not get the case?"

"Should you even be working the case?" Prentiss added.

Before Reid could reply, Morgan answered for him. "It's his mother. Of course he should work the case. Hell, I'm wondering what he's still doing here. I'd have been I on a flight already."

"Couldn't find a flight out until the afternoon." Reid answered.

"Shit, Kid. Take the jet."

"I considered it but with our unit under constant scrutiny of Strauss, I didn't think it'd be wise."

"Fuck the rules. It's your _mother._" Morgan said and then added, "Rossi did it when he went to Indianapolis." He looked at the older agent pointedly.

Rossi made a noncommittal noise in response.

"Look, in answer to Rossi's question I worked on a profile because I'm going to Vegas either way. And in answer to Prentiss' question, Hotch already talked to me about it." Reid spoke up, hoping to diffuse the tension in the room. If anything, he should be the angry one in the room, but here he was playing mediator. A faint throbbing began in his head. Great a migraine. This day wasn't going well at all.

Hotch came in. "Reid, we got the case."

"Already? I thought you were going to call later?" Reid asked. He was confused and relieved at the same time.

"They called us. Three victims and they don't have any solid leads. And a potential fourth, they asked for our assistance. Also, it seems you, Rossi, and Morgan left an impression after solving a case over twenty years old. Wheels up in a half hour. We'll go over the case on the plane."

And here Reid had thought the impression had been a negative one. He looked to Hotch, "I already paid for the ticket, so I'm just going to take the flight I booked." Really, he just wanted some time to himself. To process all this information without anyone questioning his abilities or objectivity.

Hotch was quiet a moment then nodded.

"I'll go with him." Morgan said.

Another nod from Hotch. "Good. We'll see you when you guys get there. Everyone else, get your go-bags ready." He left the room, and so did Rossi and Prentiss.

"You don't have to babysit me." Reid said, the irritation he felt also evident in his voice. The migraine was not helping his mood any either, it kept getting progressively worse.

"I'm not babysitting you. I'm going with you because you're my friend and I'm worried about you."

Reid would have been grateful if he wasn't so stressed. Between trying to keep it together emotionally and mentally, lack of sleep, and the migraine, he was worn quite thin. Without a word he left the room, Morgan right behind him.


	3. Chapter 3

Author's Note:

Thanks for all the reviews so far! And thanks to all the subscriptions! I'm glad you guys are enjoying this so far. This is kind of a filler chapter but I liked how it turned out anyway. Hope you guys like it as well!

* * *

The plane was crowded and loud. Reid's migraine didn't appreciate the noise level. A part of him wished he had taken the jet because of the quietness it offered. He rubbed the left side of his head with a sigh. This was going to be a long flight.

"Want to talk about it?" Morgan asked, as he slid into the seat next to Reid and buckled himself in.

"What's there to talk about?"

"Come one Kid, who do you think you're talking to?"

"Can we not talk about this right now? I'm fine, okay? I'm fan-fucking-tastic." Not prone to swearing or angry outbursts, Reid sighed again and softened his tone. "Look Derek, I'm sorry. I'm just…" he trailed off with a shrug of his slender shoulders.

Morgan seemed unruffled by Reid's profanity and anger directed at him. "Look, I get it. But I'm here when you're ready, okay?" He patted the younger man's leg.

"Thanks Morgan." Reid didn't want to shut his friend out but what was he supposed to say? That he was terrified? What if they were too late? What if they did save his mom? Would she be able to cope after the fact? So many questions swirled in his head, and so did the nagging pain of the migraine. Not a good combination. No doubt the altitude would wreak havoc on his head even more, given its already sensitive state.

Morgan put his head phones on, most likely to drown out the din of the plane.

Reid often wondered what kind of music his colleague listened to. Would it be stereotypical of him if he thought it was hip hop and rap? As for himself, he preferred classical. It always soothed him. However, he didn't bring music with him. He'd brought the case, so he could go over it on the flight despite the fact he had already memorized everything about it.

The team would be working on victomology, checking out the crime scenes and going over the forensics. So, prior to the flight while at the office Reid had worked on the geographical profile. It was one of his specialties. He could narrow down where an unsub most likely lived and worked quickly. But this one seemed to allude his usually sharp mind. Was Hotch and Prentiss right? Was he too close to this? Could he remain objective amid the emotional flusters?

Even now on the plane as Reid went over the Las Vegas map in his head, he found it hard to remain focused. For the first time he doubted himself as a profiler. Frustrated with himself, he decided maybe he should try talking to Morgan. He tapped him on the shoulder to get his attention.

Morgan took his headphones off and directed his attention to Reid. "What's on your mind Pretty Boy?"

"Do you think I'm doing the right thing, by working this case?" Reid hated that he doubted himself. He'd been so resolute about working the case before but now he questioned his initial steadfast stubbornness.

"I don't know. You're the only one who can answer that."

Reid frowned. That wasn't the answer he was looking for. "I'm just having trouble focusing. Usually I can pinpoint a geographical profile in no time and now when time is critical, I can't think at all."

"Maybe that's your problem."

Another frown, as Reid failed to follow Morgan's train of thought. "What is?"

"You're feeling pressured to do it, when usually you do it naturally. How about you don't worry about the case during the flight and give your mind time to catch up with everything instead of trying to force it to work when it's already at its limit break. Then when we get to Vegas, go over it again with fresh eyes and a fresh mind."

"I just can't sit and do nothing while God knows what is happening to mother. Every second counts right now."

"I can't pretend to know how you are feeling right now, but you aren't doing your mom any good if you push yourself to plow through the case."

A part of Reid knew his friend was right but that didn't make him feel any better. He unbuckled himself from the seat and pressed the button for the flight attendant.

"Can I help you Sir?" A woman came over and smiled politely.

"Can I get some aspirin please?" Maybe that would help the migraine. And like he suspected, it got increasingly worse with the altitude change.

"Sure." She smiled again and disappeared down the aisle.

"You okay man?"

"Just have a headache." It felt worse than that though. More like a bad case of encephalitis. While he knew that wasn't true, it definitely felt like it. The plane wasn't brightly lit which was a mild comfort but the background noise of the full plane was like a cacophony in his ears.

The woman came back and handed him a small cup with two white pills in it. Reid took the aspirin dry and closed his eyes, not because he was tired but because he hoped it would help ease the tension in his head.

"Sleep might not be such a bad idea, Kid."

"Not tired. Just…stressed…" Reid admitted, but kept his eyes closed.

"And understandably so. It's been a hell of a morning for you."

That was an understatement but Reid nodded in silent agreement.

"Hey Kid. We are going to catch this bastard, you hear me?"

Reid wanted nothing more to believe Morgan's words. For the second time that day, he unintentionally fell asleep.

* * *

With a start, Reid woke up from the plaguing nightmare. His heart was racing and light mist of sweat outlined his eyebrows. He got his breathing under control as he tried to force the images of his dream from his mind. Despite his best efforts to banish the thoughts, they danced tauntingly through his head.

_It was cold and dark. He was in a building of some sort, a warehouse maybe. Pained cries could be heard and he knew instantly it was his mother. He tried to rush towards the screams but he was shackled to the floor and his body jerked to a stop and he toppled over into a heap on the ground._

_ His writs burned from the friction of the manacles around his wrists. So close, but so far away. He had to save his mother. He couldn't fail her. He'd already failed her once, by sending her away. He'd done it for her own good, but it didn't assuage the guilt he felt about it. He righted himself but remained seated on the floor. _

_ What could he do to get out of these chains that fastened him in place? Another scream. Panic and anger was enough to motivate him to his feet and with a profound sense of purpose he jerked the chains free of the floor. In the process he broke one wrist and severely bruised the other. The pain didn't matter and he ignored the blood dripping to the ground._

_ He tried to run but tripped over the encumbrance of the chains still attached him. He now knew how Jacob Marley felt. Again he set himself straight and this time he approached a bit more cautiously. The chains were a heavy burden, and his wrists burned. Blood stained the already tarnished metal links as it fell from his battered wrists._

_ The hallway he went down seemed to get longer rather than shorter with every step. There was a door at the end of the hall but it loomed menacingly just out of reach. His mother was there, he just knew it. If only he could get to the door, he could save her._

_ After what seemed like forever, his one bloodied working hand opened the door. The room was encased in total darkness. An unknown voice laughed mockingly. The dark, he couldn't be afraid of it now. He braved the darkness and stepped across the threshold. The door slammed shut behind him._

_ Shakily he turned around to look behind him but he couldn't see a thing. It was too dark to even see his hand in front of his face. With a shaking breath he got it together and concentrated on saving his mother. He navigated the darkness slowly and after a moment he was blinded by a sudden bright and piercing light in front of him._

_ Reflexively he shielded his eyes from the glare. It took time for his eyes to adjust to the onslaught of beaming radiance. In the center of the light was his mother. She was tied to a pole. He ran to her, stumbling on the way but picking himself up hastily ignoring the pain and beatings his knees took. He reached her and knew he had failed. He was too late, she was dead. He dropped to his knees and wept._

Tears brimmed Reid's eyes and was startled when he realized Morgan was leaning over him with a concerned look. He wiped away the moisture quickly and looked away from his colleague. "Just a bad dream, I'm fine." Reid said and cursed himself for how shaky his voice sounded. It was only dream, it hadn't been real. But the nightmare had left his mind reeling.

"Must have been one bitch of a dream, Kid."

The seatbelt sign dinged on and the pilot on the plane informed they would be landing soon. Saved by the bell. "We're here." Reid said and opted to look out the window, rather than look Morgan in the eyes.

Morgan patted Reid's shoulder comfortingly but said nothing more.

Though the silence was a bit stiflingly, Reid was thankful Morgan hadn't pushed him. They got off the plane, gathered their luggage and found local officer who had been sent to pick them up from the airport to drive them to the police station. _Hang on mom. I'm coming to save you, _Reid thought to himself as he got into the car.


	4. Chapter 4

Author's Note:

This is developing slower than I like, but it'll get better! Thanks to those who've taken the time to review and to those of you subscribing. Glad you all are liking it so far!

* * *

The familiar city whisked by as the car drove through down the streets. Reid got out of the police car when it came to a halt. Even though he'd grown up in Vegas, it felt foreign to him. It'd never really been home for him, even when he lived here. He stood on the side walk, instead of walking into the precinct.

"What's the holdup Kid? Hotch is waiting for us inside." Morgan said as he walked up to next to him.

"Can you give me a moment? I'll be in a second, okay?" Reid said, avoiding eye contact by pretending to shift the satchel over his shoulder to a more comfortable position.

Morgan eyed Reid suspiciously. "You aren't planning on doing anything stupid are you?"

"Like what?"

"Oh I don't know, go off on your own and investigate."

Was he really that transparent? "I just want some time…to think… Maybe you were right, I need to take time and space and get some perspective. Thought I'd go to the hotel for a little bit."

"Want company? I'll call Hot-"

"I told you, I don't need you to baby sit me!" Reid lost his temper. Although, admittedly he wasn't mad at Morgan, but he needed to release the anger that he had tried so hard to suppress up until this point.

Morgan held up his hands in defense. "Okay, fine. I get it. You want some time alone."

Reid nodded, gathered his luggage and hailed a taxi. He got into the cab without a word or backwards glance at Morgan, who he was certain, was watching him the entire time.

Going to the hotel wasn't an entire lie, Reid did go there first. He checked into his room, dropped off the luggage and then left. The taxi that had brought him there was still waiting for him and he directed the driver to go to Bennington Sanitarium.

After paying the cabbie for the fare, Reid merely stood at the gates. He took a deep breath. He could do this. He'd be fine. He strode through the gates and up to the building. He talked to a nurse briefly and then made his way to his mother room.

The room was mostly neat, so no signs of struggle were apparent here. Had she been abducted elsewhere? Or drugged? The room didn't have a lot in the way of furniture. A bed, a dresser, a desk and a book shelf. The book shelf had a bunch of books heaped haphazardly in and on top of it. Reid walked over to the desk and began opening the drawers. The first two drawers were filled with letters he had sent his mother. She had kept every single one. The envelopes and papers were crumpled and worn, which indicated she had read them multiple times.

When he tried to open the third drawer he found it to be locked. This captured his interest immediately. A part of him felt guilty for going through his mothers things in a wanton fashion but it needed to be done. He went through her dresser drawers next, hoping to find the skeleton key that would unlock the bottom drawer in the desk. He came up empty. He sighed and thought for a moment. _If I was a schizophrenic with slight paranoid delusions, where would I hide a key?_

Brown eyes roved around the room deliberately and slowly. The books were strewn in such a way that sometimes he had to cock his head to either side fully to read the titles completely. None of the titles jumped out at him, so he meandered back to the desk. It seemed cliché but he put his hand under the desk to see if anything was taped underneath. He didn't find a key but he did find an envelope. It was red with white hearts. Not one his letters.

The envelope was already open and he was about to pull out the papers inside when he heard familiar voices coming down the hall. He shoved the envelope into one of his pants pocket.

"What are you doing here?" Hotch's voice sounded as he entered the room. "Morgan said you were at the hotel." His tone was tinged with anger.

Reid turned around to see not only his boss but Rossi as well. "I did go to the hotel. But then I came here."

"Without telling anyone?" Hotch asked. It was clear he wasn't pleased with his subordinate. "I've given you a lot of leeway on this case so far, but I'm not going to have you running around solo."

"I'm sorry. I should have called someone to let them know where I would be." Reid shifted his weight, feeling a little uneasily under the scrutiny of Hotch's stare. He wasn't used to being on the receiving end of his boss' glare.

Rossi must have taken pity on Reid because he asked, "Did you find anything?"

"Not really. Just the letters I've written her and I couldn't get into the bottom drawer. It's locked."

Rossi moved around Reid and took out a knife. With ease he jimmy opened the lock. "Looks like a diary." He commented as he picked up a notebook and began to flip through it.

"Hey, you can't read that!" Reid squealed.

"Reid, its evidence." Hotch said, as he went through the various books on the shelves.

Of course Hotch was right. Reid tapped the pocket that held the envelope he had found. He knew he should share it with the rest of the team but he kept quiet about it. He told himself, if he thought it had anything to do with the case he'd tell them then. So for now it'd be a secret. To alleviate the guilt he felt, he opted not to think about it and instead focused on the case. "Any leads yet?"

"Not much in the way of forensics. Couple of smudged prints, no foreign DNA, they did find some trace evidence at each of the crime scenes." Rossi answered, as he continued to thumb through the journal.

"What kind of trace evidence?" Reid asked.

"Sugar and cow meal." Hotch replied, as he flipped closed another book after searching it for clues.

Reid furrowed his brows in thought as he mentally went over the case. "Was the trace on the victims or near them?"

"On them. What are you thinking Reid?" Hotch asked and turned his attention to the young doctor.

"Well, in old sugar refineries they used cow meal to make sugar white. All the dump sites were more towards the outskirts of town. What if the unsub is keeping them in abandoned sugar refinery in the warehouse district? Once I work out the geographical profile, I'll know for sure. I'm going to head to the station and start working on that right away."

"I'll go with you." Rossi offered.

Reid merely nodded and left the room with the older agent. He was already going over the geographical profile mentally. He followed the older agent automatically. Finally, this case was going somewhere! Maybe he wouldn't be too late after all. He was also curious about the contents of the envelope but that would have to wait until later. When he had time alone, he'd take a look at it. Besides, with the geographical profile finally underway it seemed likely they would be able to close this case soon. Or at least close in on the unsub. Also, the journal might prove useful yet as well. The note could wait. Too bad he didn't realize just how important it was.


	5. Chapter 5

Author's Note:

Couldn't help but write this next part so soon. I usually cycle through my stories but wanted to write it as I thought about it so I wouldn't forget what I had in mind. I think it turned out pretty good and hope the ending of this chapter doesn't feel forced. I did my best to lead up to this, before springing it on you guys. Anyway, hope you all like this next part!

* * *

For awhile the migraine had dissipated. Maybe it'd been the aspirin or maybe it was because Reid was finally focused on the case. Either way, the geographical profile came with ease this time and after a few hours he had several circles and a few pins in the map. Some of the circles were colored in, each a different color. The red was the dump site radius, the blue the unsub's comfort zone and the green was where the unsub was suspected of holding his victims. Unfortunately, the area was too big and still needed to be narrowed further.

While the profile of the unsub and the geographical profile had been mostly complete, they still were no closer to catching the unsub. Reid was getting frustrated. Things weren't happening nearly fast enough for his liking. The day was almost over and he knew his team would be turning into the hotel for the night soon. The thought irked him. It was of course irrational. The team would need rest at some point. Sleep deprived Agents would make for sloppy work in the future. But it didn't annoy him any less.

Of course Reid was also irritated with himself, because the geographic profile wasn't finished. It would be impossible to finish without more to go on. He rubbed his head with his fingers, that damned migraine was coming back. All this time to think wasn't helping him, so to aid him to remain focused he went to find Rossi. He was still reading through his mother's journal. Reid wasn't thrilled at the thought of someone other than himself reading the journal, but he couldn't go over the journal and work up a geographic profile at the same time so he reluctantly allowed Rossi to do so uncontested.

"Find anything useful?" Reid asked, as he walked into the quite room.

"Not really. Your mom writes about you a lot. She misses being a professor. She goes on about her favorite books and authors. Some of which I've never even heard of."

A brief, small smile found its way to Reid's lips. "I think my mother's read more books than I have."

"I find that hard to believe." Rossi replied as he finally looked up from the diary.

"Did you read the most recent entries by chance?"

"Of course I have. This isn't my first rodeo, you know."

"Right. I know. I'm just…" Reid trailed off, shoving his hands into his pockets as he began shifting his weight back forth from his toes to his heels of his feet. Usually he was the most verbose person in the room but he hadn't felt much like talking today.

Rossi nodded and put down the journal. "You doing okay?"

"Why does everyone keep asking me that? I'm fine. Best day of my life."

"Sarcasm doesn't suit you."

"Well, what do you want me to say? That I'm scared to death? That half the time I can't focus?" Reid's temper was returning, it'd been happening a lot lately it seemed.

"That's a good start. I'm sure I don't need to tell you that not talking about it, isn't helping you."

"I talked to Morgan on the plane."

"Good." Rossi said with a nod of his head and then picked Reid's mother's diary and began reading once more.

"I don't think we'll make anymore headway tonight, so I'm going to head to the hotel and see if I can sleep."

"Take Morgan or Prentiss with you." Rossi commented, without looking up from his reading material.

With a resigned sigh, Reid left the room. He'd forgotten about the note until he'd stuck his hands in his pockets. He planned on reading it when he got to his hotel room. He almost made it out the doors alone…almost…

"Hey, headed out?" Prentiss asked from behind.

"Yeah. Going to head over to the hotel, try and sleep. Getting a headache."

"I'll drive you."

Reid nodded, figuring it'd be better that way in the long run. He really didn't want to be glared at some more by Hotch anyway. He walked outside with Prentiss and got in the passenger's seat of the Suburban.

After awhile Prentiss spoke. "You know, I wasn't trying to be a bitch back at the office."

"I know." Reid didn't want to admit that she had been right. He wasn't handling this case well at all and he knew it. Yet he couldn't bring himself to recuse himself from it. He was deeply conflicted but he kept mustering through somehow.

"How you holding up?"

Reid was getting tired of everyone asking how he was doing. It took a lot of control on his part to not scream. He hadn't been this upset since he had worked the case of Riley Jenkins. "Shitty, okay? Can everyone leave me alone now? I don't need everyone worrying over me."

Prentiss glanced over sideways at Reid. "We only ask because we care."

"I know, but it doesn't make it any less trite."

The rest of the ride to the hotel was in silence. Reid walked into his room. For the first time since watching a father shoot an unsub in the face and unable to do nothing about it, he felt the familiar pang of wanting to forget it all. The need, the craving. He twitched slightly. Why wasn't he over his drug addiction? It'd been almost four years since he used. Three years since his last craving.

Dilaudid wasn't with him, but there was alcohol close at hand. Reid had only drunk on the job one other time and that was back when Elle Greenway still worked with the BAU. He took out a small bottle of Jack Daniels. He stared at it, but didn't open it. With a sigh, he got and began pacing the room.

At some point, his pacing brought him to the sink. Reid stared at his reflection. He didn't like the sight in front of him. It was like looking at a shadow of his former self. He punched the mirror and it shattered. Glass and blood dropped onto the vanity. The cuts were mostly superficial but it didn't make them hurt any less. He picked out the shards still in his skin, his teeth bared in pain, and then turned on the spigot. His eyes closed tightly as the hot water ran over his hand. He found a towel and wrapped it around his knuckles. Blood seeped through the white cloth.

With a trembling breath, Reid grabbed one of the clear plastic cups with his good hand and walked to the center of the room. He sat down at the chair by the small table and set the cup down. He unwrapped his hand and held it over the cup and then opened the small bottle of Jack. Pain seared his hand and he bit his lip to prevent screaming as he poured the liquor on his battered hand. Not the best treatment, but he was working with what he had. He didn't want to go to the doctor or tell anyone about it because he was certain he'd be pulled off the case. He was losing control, even he could see that. If only he could keep it together awhile longer, just long enough to save his mother.

For awhile, Reid just sat there staring at the cup that held a mixture of blood and alcohol. He was trying to force himself to get it together. That and not concentrate on the pain. He walked back over to the sink and grabbed a fresh towel and gently dabbed away the moisture. Unable to fight back the pain this time, he yelped a little louder than he would have liked. The burning sensation eventually became a tingle before his hand finally became numb to the pain.

That accursed memory of being restrained to a chair and his foot beaten with a hot piece of wood came quickly and unwanted. Reid shuddered at the memory. A frantic series of knocks, followed by Morgan calling his name, mercifully made the memories fade.

"Reid! Is everything okay?"

Great, Morgan must have heard him scream. "I'm fine Derek. I stubbed my toe against the bed." Reid lied as moved toward the door, so he could be heard.

"You sure, you're okay? You don't sound too good."

"Yeah, well not everyone is a tough guy like you. It _hurts._"

"Kid, talk to me man."

"There's nothing to talk about." Reid replied stubbornly.

"You and I both know that it's bullshit, but fine whatever. I'm in the room next door if you change your mind."

With a sigh, Reid slumped down against the door and leaned his head against it. He closed his eyes and just sat there for several minutes. _Derek Morgan doesn't care about you Spencer. None of them do._ His eyes opened quickly, certain someone had just spoken to him. With startling revelation, he realized it was in his head. He'd been talking to himself?

This was not happening. No not now. Please God, not _ever_. Reid scrambled to his feet. From across the room he could see the broken mirror. The similarities of the glass and his mind were not lost upon him. If anything, it was glaringly clear and it was taunting him. The stress of the case had been too much, he was headed for a mental breakdown. He needed to get out of this room. It had become stifling unbearable. In his haste, the envelope fell out of his pocket and dropped on the floor by the door. He left the hotel, muttering to himself.


	6. Chapter 6

Author's Note:

What is in the note isn't revealed until the next chapter, so you'll just have to wait a bit longer. This chapter didn't turn out the way I expected but I think it turned out okay anyway. Hope you guys like it! Thanks for the reviews and subscriptions!

* * *

When Reid got outside the hotel, it was raining. He shivered from the cold droplets splattering on his exposed skin. The realization that had taken place in the hotel room was frightening. He was fine. He had to be. He wouldn't end up like his mother or worse. His hands were jammed in his pockets, as he walked aimlessly down the sidewalk.

With no real destination in mind, Reid was uncertain how far he had gone or where he was at really. He wasn't paying that much attention frankly. His head was bent down, staring at the sidewalk. He probably came off as a crazy person, because he was talking to himself. It wasn't loud, more muttering than an audible, coherent sound. His mind was racing faster than usual and he was trying to focus on everything at once. It wasn't really working out so well for him, but he hoped this walk would at least clear his head.

"Excuse me, Sir?"

Someone speaking to him broke Reid out of his thought process. He stopped and looked to the person who'd spoken to him. The man standing in front of him was about his age, scrawny and short. Being taller than him and the umbrella the other man held prevented Reid from seeing his face. "Yes?"

"I lost my wallet around here somewhere, have you seen one?"

Reid blinked away the rain and then shook his head.

"Would you help me look for it?"

While Reid really didn't want to, maybe helping this guy would help him from thinking too much. "Okay. Do you know how long ago you lost it?"

"Maybe ten minutes ago? I was making out with my girlfriend in the alley the next block over…of course! I must have dropped it there. Come on!" The man took off at a run and then disappeared as he took a left.

Reid followed, but didn't run. He wasn't in that big of a hurry. He reached the alley and glanced into the darkness. He didn't see the man there. "Sir?" He inquired with confusion and apprehension. No reply came. He reached instinctively for his gun, but discovered it wasn't there. _Must have left it at the hotel,_ he thought to himself with a sigh.

"Sir? Are you there? Is everything okay?" The alley remained resolutely silent. Should he go in there? What if the man was hurt and needed help? What if the man was lurking somewhere in the darkness waiting to ambush him? _Don't be so paranoid,_ he chastised himself. With another sigh, Reid walked into the quiet alley with caution.

There was a dumpster to his right and a few trash cans. Nothing and no one was there except for the trash that should be. Reid moved deeper into the shadows and confines the alley way held. Bricks lined either side of him, as that's all the alley had to offer the more steps he took inside. Something glinted in the darkness, and he moved toward it to inspect if further. A piece of cardboard covered the wallet mostly but the metal initials are what had caught his eye. "Sir, I think I found your wallet." He bent down to pick it up but as he did, he felt a painful jolt to his back. His body shuddered and he crumpled to the pavement face first. With a shaky breath he tried to roll over to see his tormenter but found his body wouldn't obey.

"I've been waiting for you Dr. Reid." The voice belonged to the man who had asked for help and he viciously kicked Reid in the ribs.

A strangled cry elicited the young doctor's lips as confusion washed over him. Did he know this person? How did this person know who he was? And why had they been waiting for him? And why was… Reid's train of thought was cut short as another shock racked his entire body and he slipped into unconsciousness.

* * *

Slowly and painfully, Reid regained his senses. Wherever he was, it was dimly lit and he could smell sugar. Sugar? That was important somehow, wasn't it? He tried to think, but his mind was still groggy. It didn't want to cooperate with him right now.

With little success, Reid tried to move. He found his hands bound above his head and his feet dangling off the ground. It took his mind a moment to register what had happened to bring him to this point. When it did, he struggled and thrashed against his restraints fruitlessly.

Wait, sugar! The unsub's victims had trace amount of sugar on them. But did that mean the unsub had him? Reid frowned at the thought. That didn't make sense, he didn't fit the unsub's victomology. It seemed like the only likely conclusion though. While his current situation wasn't exactly like the dream he had, it was startling close. A shiver of premonition went up and down his spine.

If this scenario was anything like his dream, he needed to find a way free fast. Of course, Reid found it disconcerting that he was comparing his current situation to the nightmare but nothing else, since he'd found out his mother was missing, was even close to a comforting thought. He heard movement and he squinted to try and see beyond the shadows and soon someone came into his view. The man had the same build and height as the person who'd stopped on the sidewalk.

"I see you're awake Dr. Reid."

"I'm sorry, do I know you?"

"No. But I know you're mother."

This caught Reid's attention fully. "You're the one who took my mother?" He fought against his restraints stronger and longer this time and succeeded in only cutting his wrists with his constraints. Blood ran along his arm. Some of it splattered onto the floor, some dripped onto his face and the rest stained his clothes.

The man seemed to find this amusing, a smirk on his face and a murderous glint to his eyes. "Squirm all you want, I doubt you'll get free. I didn't take her, she came with me willingly. She's better off now anyway. She said you'd come after me, that you'd find us. That you were a big shot with the FBI. So, I looked you up on the Internet. A very impressive repertoire Dr. Reid. I couldn't leave to chance that you and you're colleagues would ruin my precious plans."

Despite how the unsub referred to his mother, Reid refused to believe anything other than she was alive. "They'll come looking for me you know." _No they won't,_ a voice whispered inside him. _Yes they will,_ he replied back. _Stop talking to yourself, _he told himself. He needed to focus on something else, anything else so he could keep it together mentally.

"And by the time they find this place, they'll find two dead bodies and I'll be long gone."

Reid needed to keep this guy talking, to keep him busy from whatever sadistic and devious plan he had in mind. "Can I see my mother?"

"I'm afraid that isn't possible. She's come and gone."

"I don't believe you. You kept the others alive for a week." Reid thought for a moment, trying to figure this guy's profile out. If his mother was dead, then this unsub was devolving exponentially fast. The thought was frightening and pissed him off to think about. He tried to shove his emotions aside so he could he think some more. If the unsub was devolving, it might explain why he had risked kidnapping a Federal Agent. The unsub hadn't gotten his desired pleasure that he derived from hurting others. But what had started this to begin with? Reid decided to hazard a guess. "Is killing you're mother over and over again, what drives you're hatred and desire to kill these other women?"

"_Shut up!_ You don't know anything about me!" The unsub punched Reid just under the kidneys.

_That's a yes. _Reid thought to himself as he closed his eyes from the pain, a yelp escaping his lips.

"I saw you talking to yourself! You're just like the rest of them! You all deserve to die!" The unsub hit the helpless young doctor again.

Reid did his best not to scream this time and he took a sharp ragged breath.

"You can't take care of yourselves or others! You're all the same!" Another vicious blow followed after the words.

This time around, Reid coughed up blood. The metallic taste lingered his mouth and he coughed again but at least no more blood came up. He wasn't sure how much his body could take. He needed to calm the unsub down before his kidneys took permanent damage. "Is that why you killed them? Because you're mother didn't take care of you?"

"Of course it is! I know you understand! You made your mother go into an institution so you wouldn't have to take care of her."

While that wasn't why Reid had sent his mother to an institution, he needed to empathize with the unsub if he wanted to avoid further torment. "You're right. She didn't take care of me when I was kid. I had to take care of her until I could get rid of her." The words were like vinegar in his mouth but they needed to be said, his survival depended on it.

"It's not your fault it happened to you. It was that bitch of mother you have. She _gave_ it to you." The unsub clenched his fists again, but no punch followed afterward.

"Just like your mother gave it to you." Reid ventured a guess, but said it as a statement.

"_No!_ I'm not like her, or you or any of them!" The unsub paced nervously. He stopped and glared at Reid as he pulled out a knife. The unsub had to pull up a partially broken crate to stand on, to be face to face. "Unfortunately, I won't have the time to spend with you that I would like. Just like your mother. I suppose its fate that you will both end the same way…" The unsub drew the blade down Reid's face slowly in a diagonal fashion, starting just below the eye and ending at the tip of the chin.

Reflexively Reid flinched from the pain, tears forming in his eyes. He wasn't sure if he was crying because his mother was dead or because of the abuse his body had taken. He could feel the blood run down his cheek and chin as it trickled slowly off his face.

The unsub had to stand on his tippy-toes to be eye level with Reid, and his expression was almost sad. The expression changed quickly, a wicked smile and homicidal look glinted in his eyes. The knife lowered from his face and was rammed into his rib cage.

Searing pain overtook Reid as the blade entered his chest and he sucked in breath sharply, making a faint whistling noise. He exhaled the breath slowly and painfully. It hurt to breath. Had the blade nicked his lung?

The unsub jerked the blade out roughly and began laughing maniacally.

Once again his body was racked with pain. Reid's chest felt like it was on fire and breathing became more difficult. He glanced down to look at the wound he had endured. His shirt was covered in blood and it was spreading quickly. Things weren't looking good. He wasn't sure if it was because of the pain or the blood loss, but soon darkness over took him and he felt pain no more.


	7. Chapter 7

Author's Note:

The final chapter is fairly lengthy and it was not my initial intention of ending it as such. It just ended up happening this way. This is mostly from Morgan's POV. Thank you to all those who reviewed and subscribed! Hope you guys liked it!

* * *

The next morning, Morgan got ready and then knocked on the door to Reid's room. The door creaked open. Instinctively he went for his gun and pulled it out. A sense of trepidation gripped him but he shoved it aside as he cautiously nudged the door open. It didn't take long to clear the hotel room. "What the hell happened here Kid?" He wondered out loud.

A broken mirror. A cup with blood and alcohol in it and two bloodied white towels. It didn't take Morgan long to piece together what had happened. Further investigation revealed that Reid's gun and cell phone were still in the hotel room. The bed was still neatly made. It hadn't even been slept in. He was about to leave the room to let Hotch know what was going when he saw an envelope on the ground. He picked it up and took out the contents.

Dark eyes narrowed at the first letter and then he frowned at the second one. _Reid, why did you keep this from us? Please have gone to the hospital and not to look for the unsub or your mother._ It took willpower to not crumple the paper out of frustration.

"Morgan, where's Reid?" Hotch asked as he stepped inside, his brown eyes surveying the room behind his subordinate.

"I don't know."

"What's that?"

Morgan handed his boss the letters. "Looks likes this is how the unsub contacted the victims, or at least Reid's mom. It promises her getting her out of the mental hospital and then helping her on the outside. It isn't signed. It does say to the destroy the letter though, so no one will be able to come after her. There are directions for her to wait at night by the fire exit on the south end of the building, explaining that the alarm will be disabled. And the other letter is from Reid's mom to him, telling him not to worry that she's gone some place better to live."

"The unsub must have had direct contact with them somehow and initiated contact first that way."

"Hotch, I'm worried about Reid."

"Me too. I shouldn't have let him come."

"The Kid would have been here, even if you told him to stay home."

Hotch merely nodded, worry lining his brown eyes the only indicator of what he was feeling. After a beat he said, "We'll need to divide and conqueror on this. Morgan, you'll be with me." He turned in time to see Rossi and Prentiss coming to the room.

"What's going on?" Rossi asked, able to read his leader's facial expression like a book.

"Reid's missing. Morgan and I are going to work on that. Rossi, I want you to go back Bennington Sanitarium. We got the sign sheet for visitors for this month. Get one that date backs another month, see if anyone delivered any letters to Reid's mom and also, check to see if they had fire alarms installed recently. And if so, check the other mental intuitions the first three victims were from and see if it they did as well. I think that might be the link we are looking for. Prentiss, take this note and have it processed." Hotch directed his team, as he handed the note over to Emily.

"The note's compromised evidence, we won't be able to use it in court." Prentiss said, eyebrows raised slightly in question.

"I know that. But if there is anything that can help us find Reid's mother or him or both, then I don't care if it's admissible in court or not."

Prentiss nodded, took the note and left.

"If I find anything, I'll let you know." Rossi said and then took his leave as well.

"You don't think he'd go after the unsub or looking for his mom unarmed, do you?" Morgan asked, clearly frustrated at the situation.

"I wouldn't think so. It almost looks as he left in a hurry. I told him not to go anywhere without telling me or someone else." Hotch said, disapproval evident in his voice.

"Okay, say he didn't go looking for either of them. Where did he go and why didn't he come back last night?"

"That's what we are going to try and find out." Hotch replied and left the room. On his way down to the lobby, he phoned the local police department and the local FBI field office and had a forensics team dispatched to Reid's room, just in case.

Morgan followed his boss quietly, cursing himself for not being persistent last night in trying to get Reid to talk to him. _If I'd only tried a little harder, maybe Reid wouldn't have gone off on his own._

Hotch was about to walk out front, into the parking lot and then back tracked to the desk. "Excuse me," He said to the clerk behind the counter and pulled out his badge and ID, "were you working last night by chance?"

"No Sir, I just got on a few hours ago. Is there something I can help you with?"

"Do you have surveillance on the premises or possibly outside?"

"We have both."

"Can I please take a look at last night's?"

"Um…let me get my manager." The clerk said and then headed off to back room.

"Hoping to see where Reid went to last night?" Morgan asked, as he waited impatiently, his fingers drumming on the counter rapidly.

"Yes, if we can figure out which way he went then maybe we can figure out where he went to."

The clerk returned with an older, heavy set man with glasses. "May I see your ID Sir?"

Hotch pulled out his ID again and let the other man study it.

"May I ask what this about?"

"One of my Agents is missing and he was last seen at this hotel last night. I was hoping that by getting a look at your surveillance I could ascertain which way he went." Hotch replied directly and honestly.

The man nodded and waved them to the back as he walked away. "Sure, this way gentlemen."

Hotch and Morgan followed after the man and up into the security room, where several TV screens lined the wall.

"We're on floor four. I heard commotion in his room around ten maybe eleven o'clock last night. So, if you could start the video there and let it play that'd be great." Morgan said to the guy in charge of the recordings.

"Commotion? What kind of commotion? And why didn't you mention it sooner?" Hotch looked over to Morgan as he spoke.

"Last night, I heard him scream. I knocked on the door and he told me stubbed his toe on his bed. I tried to get him to talk to me last night, but he wouldn't let me in his room. Obviously stubbing his toe was a lie, given the broken mirror and the blood in his room."

"Broken glass? Blood?" The manager asked nervously.

"Yes Sir, I have a forensics team coming to take a look at it so I'd appreciate it if you're cleaning crew would leave it be." Hotch replied and then turned his attention back to Morgan. "Why didn't you come get me after talking to Reid?"

The manager nodded and left the room.

"Hotch man, how was I supposed to know Reid punched the glass and then tried to clean the wound with Jack Daniels? He said he stubbed his toe, I believed him."

A nod was Hotch's tacit reply and he fixed his gaze on the monitor when the technician told him he had the time in queue and ready to be played. He watched as Morgan walked away from the door and back to his own room. Shortly after, Reid left his room and took the elevator down to the lobby and headed out through the front doors.

The technician tabbed over to the camera outside, so it was on the screen they were watching. It showed Reid heading west on the sidewalk, his head bent down and eventually out of the camera's range. "That's it, all our cameras could get."

"Thank you." Hotch replied, left the room and then pulled out his cell phone and hit a speed dial button.

"Speak to the all knowing Goddess and be recognized."

"Garcia, hack into Las Vegas traffic system. See if there are any camera's on the street in front of our hotel that are west of us."

"Done and done, what am I looking for?"

"Find footage from ten thirty six pm, yesterday."

"Okay. Wait, is that Reid I see? What's going on? Is Boy Genius okay?"

"Reid's missing but I need you to stay focused."

"Oh my God! Right." Garcia was silent a moment. "It looks like he is talking to someone on the sidewalk six blocks from you're hotel."

Morgan waited quietly as Hotch talked with Garcia, and followed his boss down the sidewalk.

They came to a stop at an alleyway, as Hotch flipped his phone closed. "Garcia says Reid went to this alley after some guy."

"Did she get a good look at him?"

"A partial side view. The man is holding an umbrella, obscuring most of his face." Hotch said as he started down the alley way.

A noise in the alley caused them both to reach for the guns and withdraw them partially. A homeless man crawled out of his box and then stopped upon seeing the men with their weapons drawn.

Hotch holstered the gun and took out his badge. "Sir, were you here last night?"

"Yes'ir."

"Did you see either one of these men?" He held up his phone for the man to see and clicked from one photo to the next.

"Perhaps."

"You either did or you didn't." Hotch stated impatiently.

Morgan laid a hand on his boss' arm. "Hotch, I got this. Will this help you remember?" He pulled out a twenty dollar bill. The man grabbed for it but Morgan pulled just out of his reach. "Answer his questions first."

The man grumbled and then nodded. "I saw 'em both. The tall skinny guy was helping the other guy look for his wallet, I think. Then the other guy came up from behind. Dunno wut happened, but the tall kid fell down. The other guy kicked him, said something about waiting for him or somethin' and then he picked up the man on the ground and put him in a van."

"Where did this all happen? Did you get a license plate by chance?" Morgan asked and pulled out another twenty.

The man pointed further down the alley, about ten feet away. "Didn' see no number."

Morgan gave the homeless man the cash.

As they walked to where the homeless man pointed Hotch remarked, "You know he's just going to spend it on alcohol or drugs, right?"

Morgan shrugged. "Got us the information we needed."

They inspected the scene but it didn't tell them a lot. Some scuff marks from were Reid had probably been dragged and some tire treads. By the time forensics got around to processing the scene and getting the results back from the lab it could be too late for their young colleague, if it wasn't already. Something Morgan didn't want to admit or think about. They needed answers now. "So, the unsub used a ruse to lure Reid into the alley…but why?"

Before Hotch could answer his cell phone rang and he answered it promptly. "What have you got Dave?"

"You were right. All the places had a fire alarm system installed on their doors or updated. Same company. I had Garcia check to see who the technician was. Same guy every time. Some guy named Devon Tiller. I had her run the name against our profile and he fits Hotch. His mother was suspected of abusing him, his father left. She had schizophrenia and died under suspicious circumstances when the boy was young. There was no investigation but I'm guessing it was our unsub. He was diagnosed with schizophrenia himself a month ago."

"There's our stressor." Hotch responded. "Any connection to sugar refineries?"

"Yeah, his uncle owned one but it closed down over ten years ago, after it got bad press about using cow meal as an ingredient. Garcia should be sending us the address here shortly."

"Okay, I'll meet you there." Hotch terminated the call and called Prentiss. He brought her up to speed and then asked about the note.

"Forensics couldn't find anything useful. It's passed through too many hands. Though, it doesn't matter now since we've got the bastard."

"Morgan and I are on the way over now, we'll see you there." Hotch flipped his phone closed and concentrated on driving.

It didn't take long to get there, the SUV coming to screeching halt. They already had their bullet proof vests on. Rossi was already on scene, when Morgan and Hotch showed up. Prentiss showed up about two minutes later with SWAT.

The scene in the warehouse was disheartening. Three dead bodies. The first body was swinging from the rafters, the unsub had committed suicide by hanging himself. As the team moved deeper in, clearing the areas as they went just in case, they found the body of Diana Reid. It looked like she had been tortured briefly before the release of sweet death from her throat being slit from end to end. The last body they found was Spencer's. He was hanging limply from a meat hook and blood was everywhere.

Morgan dropped to his knees. "NO! God damn it." He swore loudly. The others put their guns away in silence. He wiped away the tears that threatened to fall and stood back up. He gently took Reid's body down and began trying to revive him, even though it was far too late.

Hotch placed his hand on Morgan's shoulder. "Derek, he's gone." His leader's voice cracked ever so slightly.

Morgan didn't stop until he tired himself out. He caressed the limp body into his lap, and let the tears fall this time.


End file.
